Our style, Li Quan Shaolin Kempo was recognized in February 2010 as
a combined art that has derived over a period of at least 600 years with
techniques influenced by Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Okinawan styles.
Li is the family surname, Quan represents the punch art. Shaolin means
"Young Forest Method" and Kempo means "Fist Method".
The name Li Quan (Chuan) was given to Sifu Chris Redmond on his trip to
China in 2006 by the local students. Sifu Chris has spent the last 30yrs
studying different styles of Karate, Kung Fu, JuJitsu, and Wrestling to
create a style that has a rich history and a diverse background.

The Art descends, as many Asian arts do, from the Shaolin temple, or
more accurately, one of the Shaolin temples. I have been able to trace
my master-to-headmaster origin back to the late 1300's. Our style was
originally called "pa ming ch'uan" which means eight ram's head fist,
a specific combination of the five animal styles leopard, tiger, crane,
dragon, and snake which the Shaolin is famous. Its specific headmaster
can be traced with certainty only as far back as 1679 to Honan Province
and a man named Yong Ho CHIN. (The surnames are placed last and capitalized
in the European style to avoid confusion). Master CHIN is considered the
modern founder of the style which was then called Shaolin-szu tang-su-dao
pa ming ch'uan. He passed away in 1751 handing the leadership to his son
Lee Ho CHIN, who resided in Chekiang Province.

From three centuries in China, the leadership passed to one of Master
CHIN's students, a Korean named Lee Chi KOOH (pronounced Wang). This headmaster
settled in Ingei City, central Korea and mixed his art with his native
tae kyon. There, the art was called "so rim sa churl kwon do tang soo
do", substituting "churl kwon" (iron fist) for the ram's head. Next in
succession was his son Kin Chi KOOH of Yong Dong Po, Korea. Master KOOH
had studied Korean arts and in his later years traveled to Japan for cancer
treatment. It was there, in Mishima-shi, Shizuoka-ken, where Master KOOH
met an American serviceman who already had an extensive martial arts background,
Dr. Albert Curtis Church, Jr.

Master Church had studied daito-ryu aiki-jujitsu as a boy under Sagaru
Yokohto, who was a student of Sokaku Takeda, and motubu ha shito-ryu under
both Siyogo Kuniba and Teruo Hayashi to the level of 5th Dan. In 1967,
his former instructor of the now shorinji-tetsu-kempo, Master Kin Chi
KOOH, called Master Church back to Japan since he knew that he was dying.
With the presentation of a 30-foot-long scroll of successorship, Master
KOOH passed the nearly 600-year-old style on to Dr. Church. Master Church
then remained in Japan for two years studying soke Kuniba's personal styles
of iaido, judo and jujitsu as well as hakko-ryu jujitsu under founder
Ryuno Okuyama. At that time Master Church was also appointed Shihan "Master"
in motobu ha shitoh-ryu by Shihan Hayashi. With soke Kuniba's review of
the scroll of succession and his sponsorship to Japanese martial arts
authorities, Master Church's newly acquired style was renamed in Japan
as an art of Chinese-Korean-Japanese origin and was renamed kamishin-ryu
"Godly Heart Style". The title was of course quite applicable since not
only was it derived from the wording in the scroll, but it also reflected
Master Church's name and the fact that he had a doctorate in theology.

The Japanese martial arts authorities had chartered the "new" old style
with the provision that it be taught in ryugi for 10 years in order to
develop its components in greater depth. In 1978, the style officially
came together again and Master Church began to teach the composite form
originally known as in Japanese translation shorinji-tetsu-kempo ("Young
Forest Temple Iron Hand Fist Method").

"The previous history was taken from Shihan Tony Annesi. Shihan Annesi
was also a student of Master Church and served as Soke-dai of Kamishin-ryu
from 1984 to 1989. Shihan Annesi was given access to kai files and Shihan
Church's notes." Also, to verify the accuracy of our history, I compared
the information with a handwritten letter from Master Church to our current
Grandmaster John Stover from 1971.

Grandmaster Church, who passed away in 1980, was the direct instructor
of my Grandmaster, John M. Stover who opened Stover's Martial Arts Academy
in Wilmington, NC in 1970. Shihan Stover is the President/Director of
the Shaolin Kempo Karate Federation, International and Director of the
International Wu Shu Society of Wilmington NC. In 1975, after establishing
the International Wu Shu Society Grandmaster John Stover created "Su Lum
Fa" Kung-Fu. The Su Lum Fa system was developed from the influence of
Li Ki Kung-Fu, Chun Li Kung-Fu, Shaolin Kung-Fu, and Fu Jowel Pai Kung-Fu.

As for my experience, I began training with Stover's Martial Arts Academy
in the fall of 1980. As a young teenager, I did not value the importance
of the organized and traditional art and only trained for about a year
and a half. After several years of kickboxing, working out on my own and
wrestling in high School I rejoined Stover's Martial Art Academy in 1992.
In 1994, Kim Crisp, a blackblet under Grandmaster Stover opened his own
school and I continued to train with Sifu Kim Crisp. I have also trained
with Renzo Gracie, Bill
Wallace, Willie "Bam" Johnson,
Joe Lewis, and a few other less known martial
artist from around the United States. I feel that we can all learn something
from different styles and techniques.

On Feb 1st, 2008 and after 2 years of prayer, my wife Carol and I started
the After School Karate Academy, a division of Carolina Martial Arts.
It is our desire to help parents teach children Respect, Integrity,
and Focus through small group Martial Art instruction. We offer area school
pickup so parents will know that their children are in a safe environment
where respect is taught and bullying is not tolerated. According to a
recent Statewide School Survey, 70% of Middle School Students were exposed
to Bullying. We help students learn how to deal with bullies in a positive
way.

On Feb 1st, 2009 after one year of operating the After School Karate
Academy, we had a waiting list of parents/students! The Lord has Blessed
our business and we look forward to seeing our students grow physically
and mentally. We have been very fortunate to have parents that are very
involved with their children and they reinforce the same behaviors that
we strive to maintain. I look forward to seeing our students excel in
school, other organized sports, and in social interactions. If you have
an interest in our After School Program, please call me to set up a time
that you and your son/daughter can come by for a visit. Due to the high
interest in our program, we never require a contract......just a monthly
commitment. I look forward to hearing from you.